Family Favorite Meatloaf

If you're looking for a good recipe for a moist and flavorful meatloaf—you just found it! This recipe has been enjoyed by my family for years. For those who like lots of sauce, double the piquant topping recipe, and heat up the extra portion to be passed around the table.

Recipe Ingredients:

Meat Loaf:
2 pounds ground beef (preferably 80/20)
1 medium onion, peeled
1 small bell pepper, seeded
1 celery rib
1 large carrot, peeled
2 to 3 garlic cloves (or to taste)
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce (or to taste)
2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg
1/4 cup ketchup

Piquant Topping:
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons lemon juice (or vinegar)
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon prepared horseradish (or to taste)

Cooking Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Prepare a large baking sheet with sides by lining it with foil; spray lightly with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Cut up the onion, bell pepper, celery and carrot into chunks and place in a food processor, add the the garlic cloves. Process until mixture is finely minced, almost pulpy. (This procedure insures an incredibly moist, flavorful and tender meatloaf. If you don't have a food processor, then finely chop/mince the vegetables by hand.)
3. In a large mixing bowl combine all the meatloaf ingredients and mix thoroughly with your impeccably clean hands (mixing by hand is a meatloaf must!), being sure that all ingredients are mixed together completely.
4. Shape meat mixture into an oblong loaf on the prepared baking sheet. Place in preheated oven to bake for 45 minutes.
5. Meanwhile prepare Piquant Topping: Mix together all ingredients in small bowl; set aside.
6. Remove meatloaf from oven after the 45 minutes (leave oven on) and carefully drain the excess grease (I use paper towels to sop it up). Then spoon the Piquant Topping over meatloaf.
7. Return to oven and bake an additional 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to set for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.

Makes 10 to 12 servings.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/10 of recipe): Calories 356.83; Cholesterol 90.17mg; Sodium 696.73mg; Potassium 503.66mg; Total Carbohydrates 21.6g; Fiber 2.46g; Sugar 8.49g ; Protein 20.5g.

Recipe and photograph by Hope Cantil; Copyright © 1999; property of CooksRecipes.com. See Terms of Use.